Country music vet, environmentalist, and marijuana afficionado Willie Nelson has organized the Austin Freedom Fest, which aims to fun marijuana reform groups seeking to stop the war on drugs. In addition to Nelson, the Freedom Fest will have appearances by Asleep At The Wheel, Carolyn Wonderland, and Jackie Martling. The party goes down tomorrow at The Backyward in Austin, Texas.

Nelson brought the four reform groups together in an effort to strengthen their lobbying power in order to change marijuana laws. "I'd like to see it taxed and regulated and looked upon as nothing more or less dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes," Nelson said. The singer doesn't believe marijuana has slowed him down for a second, and challenges anyone to prove otherwise, "What's a guy like me who smoked for 50 years. If I'm running into the walls or making a lot of bad decisions, but I do a two-hour show every night and remember 40 or 50 songs, so I challenge anyone out there. You might tie it, but I doubt you can beat it."
Advertisers have steered clear of the event because of the current legal ramifications of using marijuana, so Willie is rolling solo for now. "Because it's illegal, and once you admit smoking it, you have committed to a crime," Nelson said. "Somewhere there's a stigma attached to it."
"KXAN News":http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=6901441&nav=menu73_2_4"Freedom Fest":http://www.austinfreedomfest.com/